Parliamentary Debate Team
| Parliamentary Debate Team | |
| |
| Founded: | early 1980s |
| Recognition: | ABC |
| Membership: | ~35 |
| Executive Board: | President; Treasurer; VP Campus Affairs, Public Affairs, and Team Affairs; Secretary |
| Category: | Debate |
| Website: | {{{Website}}} |
| Contact: | {{{Contact}}} |
The Columbia Parliamentary Debate Team (or simply Parli Debate or Parli) competes with elite schools in the American Parliamentary style, which involves no research (as opposed to policy debate) and a lot of wit and thinking on one's feet. Tournaments are usually held on Fridays and Saturdays off-campus, although a few tournaments, large and small, are usually held at Columbia each year. The team has also held campus exhibition rounds on Columbia issues.
Powerful and well-respected in the '90s, the CU team experienced a period of decline starting in 2003, and underwent a very slow and bumpy recovery. Beginning in 2007, however, Columbia teams have routinely advanced to elimination rounds and finals at major tournaments, sent a team the World Universities Debating Championships, and placed as quarterfinalists ('08) and octofinalists ('07, '09) at the APDA National Championships. Columbia is now once-again represented on the APDA Executive Board; a CU debater was elected Member-at-Large and is currently serving as an alumni Trustee.
Presidents
- 2010-2011 Rohan Jotwani, CC '12
- 2009-2010 Dhruv Vasishtha, CC '11
- 2007-2009 David Yin, CC '09
- 2005-2007 Josh Morrison, CC '07
- 2004-2005 Jon Blitzer, CC'07
- 2003-2004 Todd Berzon, CC '05
- 2002-2003 Evan Mayo-Wilson, CC '03
- 2001-2002 Harry Layman, CC '02
- 2000-2001 Daniel Lee, CC '01
- 1999-2000 Jeff Williams, CC '02
- 1998-1999 Jess Wendover, CC '99
- 1997-1998 Matt Schwartz, CC '99
- 1996-1997 Sanoj Stephen, CC '97
Contact
Email Parliamentary Debate to reach the current Executive Board.
